Get Stuck In

Here is it -- my first London blog post. I should definitely be reading for my History class right now, but I promised the facebook world (plus my lovely roommates) that I would blog. The title of this post is basically our theme for London. A bishop from one of the wards gave us a fireside tonight in which he explained some culture differences between the U.S. and the U.K. At the end, he encouraged us to make the most of our time here - don't do anything here that you could do in the States, in short, "get stuck in." So that's what I've been doing. Here are my three favorite things I've done so far (by the way, the Internet here is slow and I don't have a lot of time to think about my wording, so pictures and polishing will be added when I get back in seven weeks).

1. Hyde park.

The day after I got here, I went jogging in the park. It was chilly and drizzling in typical London fashion. In other words, the weather was perfect for jogging. We just wandered around the park, going where fancy took us - past the pond speckled with primping swans (all property of the queen by English law according to Natalie), around the majestic Prince Albert Memorial and concert hall, by the bird aviary and several gardens - all the while weaving in and out of Brits cycling, jogging, walking their dogs, or even cutting through the park on their way to work. These jogs are as much about seeing Hyde park as they are about exercise, so we stop to read plaques or take a closer look. For the first time, I felt like I was experiencing London in a real way, not as a tourist, but as a fellow Londoner enjoying the weather, the exercise, and the scenery. I've since walked around several other portions of Hyde park and have still only seen maybe a quarter of it. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Squirrels, blossoms, wildflowers, planted flowers, dead trees, live trees (lots of live trees), green grass, and the occasional statue or monument. Everything I would imagine a large park in a rainy city to be, but so much more beautiful than my Arizona and Utah conditioned mind could have fathomed.

2. Borough Market.

We don't really seem to have markets in the U.S. At least not quite like this one. Every Saturday (and I think one or two other days of the week as well) dozens of little businesses set up booths in a large, almost warehouse-like area. They have separate stands selling fruits, vegetables, breads, meat, preserves, cheese (so many types of cheese), baked goods, chocolate, candy, juice, cooked sausages, and lets not forget the toasted cheese sandwiches. Amazing. So much good food, so cheap, all in one place. It's really a beautiful thing. We plan on going back there at least every other weekend because you just can't experience it all in one trip.

3. Big and Small (Gross und Klein). With THE Cate Blanchett.

The play was abstract and very post-modern, but I loved it (aside from a couple parts). It focused on a character rather than having a central plot. Each scene demonstrated a certain vice of humanity and the main character's struggle to find a place in an world that's falling apart. Kate Blanchett was absolutely phenomenal, and the whole experience was just unforgettable. There were only four of us, which was a perfect-sized group, and we took our time getting home. We stopped by St. Paul's to see it lit up at night, got lost and saw some awesome old homes, talked about the play and its themes, and all in all had a lovely, cultural evening. I decided that this i really how I want to see London, going to shows, getting lost, getting to know my classmates in a more one-on-one setting. Simple and wonderful.

Have any London stories or suggestions? Have any questions about what I have experienced so far? Leave a comment.

Home

Home. Somehow, I never understood its charm while I was living here. Not that it's an especially charming building. No wildflowers, no babbling brooks, not even a secret garden. We tried to grow a small patch of vegetables once, but the bugs and the heat commandeered it before we reaped any benefits. Yet there is a feeling here that I just don't get anywhere else. It's not that I miss having free room and board and fewer responsibilities. I actually love being independent, even if real life isn't as carefree as living at home. I love my roommates, my ward, my job, my major. My life at BYU is wonderful, and, generally, I would rather be in Provo than in Mesa. Yet every time I come home, it feels like the piece of my that I leave here realigns with the most of me that I take everywhere else, and I am a complete person again. I think the difference has something to do with these people.

I can only hope that someday, my children will be as happy and as comfortable in my home as I am here.

5 things to do in London (for my London Prep class)

1. Courtauld Gallary

particularly this painting

It's called Lordship Lane Station, and it was painted by Camille Pissarrio. This painting is on the Honors Great Works list, so anyone who's an honors student should definitely go see it. The gallery, which is part of the museum mile in London, is especially known for its impressionist paintings like this one. Typical of impressionism, the painting doesn't really have a focus or center, but rather draws your eye from one area to another, creating a simple view of life in south London in 1871. This is just one of dozens of impressionism and post-impressionism masterpieces in the gallery, which also has works by Van Gogh, Manet, and Cézanne. The gallery costs £4.50 (concessions price, which generally applies to students), but it's free from 10 am to 2 pm on Mondays. It is open 10am to 6pm daily.

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/about/index.shtm

1. Chariots of Fire

This movie is a classic, but if you haven’t seen it, don’t worry. The stage version will be playing at the Hampstead Theatre while we’re in London! The play goes through the story of two Olympic runners from the U.K. as they struggle to overcome prejudice. Their journey ends at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The movie is amazing (especially the music, which they use in the play as well), so I expect the play will be, too. Preview shows start May 5^th and opening night is May 22^nd. There are shows every Monday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, plus matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Concession tickets cost £15.

http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/london-shows/show/item132593/chariots-of-fire/

1. Westminster Abbey – Poets’ corner

I know we’re planning on going to Westminster Abbey as a group, but I just want to talk about one of the coolest parts of the abbey: Poets’ corner. I’ve wanted to see this since I discovered its existence about a year ago. Many of the greatest British authors and poets are buried here, and those that aren’t have memorials. I’m not kidding; Chaucer, Shakespeare, Tennyson, Dickens, Milton, Wordsworth and many more are honored here. I get excited just thinking about it. It was originally the burial place of Geoffrey Chaucer, and over the years, the remains of various authors have been moved there (often they were buried elsewhere first). To be honored in Westminster Abbey is one of the highest honors a poet or author can receive after death. The Abbey is open 9:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday and 9:30 to 1:30 on Saturdays.

4. Madame Butterfly

I recognize that opera isn’t a generally popular thing, but I’m hoping someone else in the group is at least almost as excited as I am about this. The English National Opera is performing Madame Butterfly on various dates from May 8^th to June 2^nd. Puccinni is probably my favorite Opera Composer (I’ve seen La Boheme and Tosca), and I have heard from fellow opera lovers that Madame Butterfly is his best work. Everything about it should be beautiful, from the Japanese costumes, to the singing, to the tragic plot. Plus, they perform at the London Coliseum, which is gorgeous. Full price tickets start at £22, but there might be a student discount. I’m definitely going to this.

5. The Flying Dutchman

So I though I was going to be able to limit myself to just one opera while I’m in London, but I may have been wrong. I really want to see this one (also put on by the English National Opera), too, because, guess what, Wagner is another one of my favorite composers. It plays from April 28^th to May 23^rd and tickets start at £26. The opera tells the story of the legendary ship captain doomed to sail the seas for eternity. The fairly simple story is dramatized by Wagner’s powerful music. Anyone familiar with Wagner’s operas knows that his vocal melodies are generally pretty simple, allowing the instrumental accompaniment to take the primary role. In other words anyone with a love of classical music, even if that doesn’t necessarily mean a love of opera, will probably enjoy this one. Once again, it should be an overall beautiful experience.

Also, this isn’t very academically valuable, so I didn’t put it as one of my 5 things, but I will definitely be shopping at the Forbidden Planet, a science fiction store featuring Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel and DC comics paraphernalia. I think I’ll get a Tardis watch… or maybe a Tardis bank… no, no, I definitely need the U.S.S. Enterprise pizza cutter… Oh the nerd inside me just can’t decide!

http://forbiddenplanet.com